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Spare Times: For Children

Peter Rabbit was more lucky than skilled when escaping a determined farmer. But that can’t be said of the title character in Roald Dahl’s children’s novel “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” Dahl’s hero could outmaneuver, outrun and, yes, outfox not just one irate farmer but three, the bad guys Boggis, Bunce and Bean.

This weekend Mr. Fox will demonstrate an even more fantastic talent: singing baritone. Dicapo Opera Theater, in its Opera for Kids series, will present the world premiere of a new version of Tobias Picker’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” an operatic adaptation commissioned by Dahl’s widow, Felicity, and originally performed by Los Angeles Opera in 1998. The 80-minute work, with a libretto by Donald Sturrock, has been pared down to one intermissionless hour. Michael Capasso, Dicapo’s general director, will narrate, introducing children 5 and older to the art form.

“ ‘Mr. Fox’ was one of Dahl’s favorite books,” Mr. Picker said at a recent rehearsal, as children playing fox cubs darted about. “It was inspired by a fox that lived in his garden.”

Though Dahl enjoyed sharing his property, the farmers don’t, and their bloodthirsty quest lends the production operatic passion. Mr. Fox himself has Verdi-esque desires for vengeance, as the farmers shoot off his tail. “We try to make that as funny and as Warner Brothers as possible,” Mr. Capasso said. “It’s like Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny.”

“Mr. Fox” has tender interludes too, though it may be the only opera with a love duet between a hedgehog and a porcupine. (Above, Chad Armstrong and Sara Petrocelli as Mr. and Mrs. Fox, with, from left, Claudia Malpeli, Sophie Dornbaum and Brian Ward as the cubs.) It also features a rat who’s overly fond of Farmer Bean’s hard cider. “She quotes Spinoza in the aria,” Mr. Picker said. “She’s an intellectual rat.”

But young audiences aren’t expected to understand philosophy or arias. Mr. Capasso will explain the operatic terms, and he will count on the score to explain itself. Children respond to interesting music, he said, “no matter what their age.” (Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m., Dicapo Opera Theater, St. Jean Baptiste Church, 184 East 76th Street, Manhattan, 212-288-9438, Ext. 10, dicapo.com; $20; $10 for children.)

FOR CHILDREN

‘ADVENTURES WITH DORA AND DIEGO’ (Friday through Wednesday) The young Latino stars of the Nickelodeon animated television series “Dora the Explorer” and “Go, Diego, Go!” have taken their expeditions into new territory at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, whose exhibition has separate Dora and Diego environments, including Diego’s Animal Rescue Center and Dora’s Fiesta. Intended for ages 2 to 6, the interactive, bilingual displays are designed to teach language, science and music skills, as well as facts about Latin America. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Tisch Building, 212 West 83rd Street, (212) 721-1223, cmom.org. Free with museum admission: $10; $7 for 65+; free for under 1 and members.

AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (Friday through Wednesday) Creatures that creep, crawl, slither and even swim are definitely the museum’s stars. The popular 2006 exhibition “Lizards & Snakes: Alive!” has returned, with more than 60 breathing (and hissing) examples, from five continents. (Through Jan. 5.) The museum is also showing the Imax film “Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure” every hour on the half-hour from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Its subject is not the monsters of myth but very real species, like Dolichorhynchops and Styxosaurus, which swam the oceans while T. rex walked the earth. Open daily, 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., at Central Park West and 79th Street, (212) 769-5200, amnh.org. Tickets to the special exhibition or Imax films (includes museum admission): $24; $18 for students and 60+; $14 for 12 and younger.

‘ARCHAEOLOGY ZONE: DISCOVERING TREASURES FROM PLAYGROUNDS TO PALACES’ (Sunday through Thursday) Children will step into the shoes of an explorer like Indiana Jones in this exhibition at the Jewish Museum, but the adventures will be purely scholarly. Still, there is plenty of excitement in analyzing artifacts like a jar handle, a clay jug and a bangle and figuring out the purpose behind ancient pieces like a Greek helmet and a bull-shaped vessel. This interactive show also includes a recreated room from the Ottoman period (about 1900), where young archaeologists can dress in costume. (Through June 15, 2009.) Sunday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.; Thursday to 8 p.m., 1109 Fifth Avenue, at 92nd Street, (212) 423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org. Free with admission: $12; $10 for 65+; $7.50 for students; free for under 12 and members.

‘BEAUTY AND THE BEAST’ (Saturday and Sunday) The story may be “a tale as old as time,” but many children today probably believe that Disney invented it. Literally Alive Children’s Theater has revived its musical version, with book and lyrics by Brenda Bell, which adheres more closely to the original story, restoring the heroine’s two selfish sisters. The show doesn’t have any debonair Frenchmen or motherly cooks masquerading as household paraphernalia, but it does have a sense of humor and hummable tunes by Mark McGee. (Through Dec. 30.) A preshow art workshop begins one hour before each show. At 11 a.m., the Players Theater, 115 Macdougal Street, Greenwich Village, (212) 352-3101, literallyalive.com; $25; $20 for children; $5 for the workshop, which is free for adults.

‘BIG ANNIE: AN AMERICAN TALL TALE FOR CHRISTMAS’ (Sunday through Tuesday) Driving reindeer through the sky is a piece of cake compared with what Big Annie has to do: a Creole flatboat captain, she must pull a full load of toys through a horrible storm one Christmas Eve. The adventures of this Southern-style feminine Santa Claus are being presented by the Shadow Box Theater, with music, puppets and a multicultural holiday singalong for the audience. Sunday at 1 p.m.; Monday and Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.; the Theaters at 45 Bleecker Street, at Lafayette Street, Greenwich Village, (212) 724-0677, shadowboxtheatre.org; $10 on Sunday; $6.50 on weekdays.

‘BLIZZARD THE WIZARD’ (Sunday) What would a blizzard be like without snow? Well, lonely for starters. That’s how Blizzard the Wizard feels when he awakens one day to find that his crystalline companion has vanished. In this one-man show from Urban Stages, Dan Kitrosser, who wrote the script with Andrew Davies, takes children 3 to 10 on a humorous journey to solve the mystery (and learn a little about global warming). (Through Jan. 18.) At 2 p.m., 259 West 30th Street, Manhattan, (212) 695-5131; $10.

‘CHARLES DICKENS’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ (Saturday and Sunday) What better place than a cemetery for Marley to rattle his chains and the various Ghosts of Christmas to appear? J. T. Turner plays all the parts in this solo version, to be presented by the Brooklyn Lyceum in Green-Wood Cemetery Chapel. At 8 p.m., Fifth Avenue and 25th Street, Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn, (718) 857-4816, brooklynlyceum.com; $10. (Discounts available with receipts from certain Brooklyn restaurants; details on the Web site.)

‘A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS IN WALES’ (Friday through Sunday, and Wednesday and Thursday) That child was Dylan Thomas, and young theatergoers are invited to share his holiday memories in this production by the Irish Repertory Theater. In addition to experiencing an old-fashioned Christmas from Thomas’s perspective, audiences will hear a variety of seasonal songs. (Through Jan. 4.) Friday and Thursday at 8 p.m.; Saturday and Wednesday at 3 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m.; 132 West 22nd Street, Chelsea, (212) 727-2737; $60 and $55; $20 for ages 16 and under.

CELEBRATE HANUKKAH! (Sunday through Thursday) When the Jewish Maccabees defeated the Syrian Greeks about 165 B.C., they rededicated their temple. One of the activities for young revelers at this celebration at the Children’s Galleries for Jewish Culture is to build their own. Model temples will be made from balsa wood, and menorahs and dreidels from clay and other materials. Thursday will also feature the daylong “Hanukkahthon!,” with a treasure hunt and interactive exhibitions. From 2 to 5 p.m. except Thursday, when activities are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., 515 West 20th Street, No. 4E, Chelsea, (212) 924-4500; $8.

‘CRYSTAL WINTER’ (Saturday and Sunday) The kind of science that is Jack Frost’s specialty is the subject of this annual program and display, which includes a giant snow globe, workshops and demonstrations involving crystals, and two theater productions: “Snow Flake Bentley: The Search for Snow,” for school-age children, and “Hey Snow, Where Do You Go?,” a puppet show for preschoolers about a little snowflake that’s afraid to fall. (Through Jan. 4.) From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th Street, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, (718) 699-0005, nyscience.org. Fees for some activities, but most are free with admission: $11; $8 for 2 through 17, students and 62+; free for under 2. Free to all on Sunday from 10 to 11 a.m.

‘DEAR EDWINA’ (Friday through Wednesday) What if Ann Landers had been a child — and she could sing? Then she might have been Edwina Spoonapple, the young heroine of this new musical by Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler (“Junie B. Jones”). Edwina is an advice columnist who delivers her counsel tunefully, with the help of her friends, and this show details her quest to be in a festival. (Through Jan. 25.) Friday at 5 and 7 p.m.; Saturday at 1, 4 and 7 p.m.; Sunday through Wednesday at 1 and 4 p.m.; DR2 Theater, 103 East 15th Street, Manhattan, (212) 239-6200, dearedwina.com; $39.

‘THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER’ (Saturday and Sunday) Would Cinderella have been better able to escape the ball if she had had athletic sneakers instead of glass slippers? She stops by the shoemaker for a pair in Kristin Walter’s witty adaptation of this fairy tale classic for ages 4 and older, presented by Manhattan Children’s Theater and populated by figures from other stories and rhymes, as well as by its industrious title characters. (Through Jan. 4.) At noon and 2 p.m., 52 White Street, near Church Street, TriBeCa, (212) 352-3101, theatermania.com; $20.

‘HEY ... YOU’RE IN MY LIGHT!: A HOLIDAY MUSICAL MISADVENTURE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY’ (Saturday) What happens when you put several fiery artistic temperaments together? Sometimes they combust. In this musical, presented by the Children’s Theater Company at Lehman College and the Bronx Arts Ensemble, a company of actors arrives to put on a holiday show; the problem is that the members can’t stand one another. Expect comedy (and even eventual cheer). At 1 p.m., Vladeck Hall, Amalgamated Houses, 74 Van Cortlandt Park South, at Hillman Avenue, Kingsbridge, the Bronx, (718) 601-7399, bronxartsensemble.org; $7.

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HOLIDAY HOUSE PARTY WITH DAN ZANES AND FRIENDS (Friday through Sunday, and Tuesday and Wednesday) When Dan Zanes became a dad, he didn’t stop being a rock star; he just adapted his music to a new generation. Now Mr. Zanes, the former frontman of Del Fuegos, is one of the most popular musicians writing and performing for children (especially those 8 and under). This time he and plenty of guest artists are visiting the New Victory Theater for a seasonal celebration with unusual twists, like disco Hanukkah music and Arabic beats for a Lunar New Year singalong. (Through Jan. 4.) Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday at noon and 5 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday at noon; 209 West 42nd Street, Manhattan, (646) 223-3010, newvictory.org; $15, $30 and $50.

HOLIDAYS FESTIVAL (Friday through Wednesday) It doesn’t matter what you observe; the Children’s Museum of Manhattan will have a way to celebrate it. This festival, running through Dec. 31 (except Christmas Day), honors Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa with crafts workshops and shows. This week’s activities include making holiday ribbon collages (Friday through Sunday), a treetop ornament (Saturday), holiday gift bags (Friday through Sunday), a decorated clay menorah (Sunday) and recycled gift wrap (Wednesday). And on Sunday at 11 a.m. and noon, Louie Miranda will perform multicultural entertainment. At the Tisch Building, 212 West 83rd Street, (212) 721-1223. Full schedule: cmom.org. Free with museum admission: $10; $7 for 65+; free for under 1 and members.

‘HOUSE ABOUT IT’ (Friday through Sunday, and Tuesday and Wednesday) This exhibition gives new meaning to playing house. Created by the Staten Island Children’s Museum, the show, whose centerpiece is a child-size house under construction, introduces young visitors to all aspects of the building trades. Activity stations include an architect’s office, a space to examine foundation materials and a workbench to practice sawing and drilling. The house offers opportunities for tiling and shingling, and a dollhouse lets young decorators ponder fabrics and furnishings. At 1000 Richmond Terrace, Livingston, (718) 273-2060, statenislandkids.org. Hours: Friday and Tuesday, noon to 5 p.m.; this Wednesday, noon to 3 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free with admission: $5; free for members.

‘KIDS & YIDDISH: PUTTIN’ ON THE SCHMALTZ’ (Sunday) The Village People meet the Chosen People in this annual holiday revue by the National Yiddish Theater — Folksbiene, which combines sendups of popular culture with lighthearted instruction in Yiddish. The show, centering this year on food and family, always involves children, both onstage and in the audience. (Through Jan. 4.) Sundays at 11 a.m., the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Avenue, at 76th Street, (800) 595-4849, ticketcentral.com; $20; $17 for 12 and under.

‘KLEZ FOR KIDS’ (Thursday) So maybe they’re a little young to be married. But children can still have fun playing the part of a bride, groom or guest in the re-creations of a shetl wedding that will conclude these concerts at the historic Eldridge Street Synagogue. The events will feature Greg Wall and his band Klezmerfest, Yiddish lessons and hora dancing. At noon and 2:30 p.m., 12 Eldridge Street, between Canal and Division Streets, Lower East Side, (212) 219-0888, eldridgestreet.org; $12; $8 for children and 65+.

‘THE KLEZMER NUTCRACKER’ (Saturday and Sunday) “The Nutcracker” may be a traditional Christmas story, but in this musical from Vital Children’s Theater, it acquires a Jewish slant and sound. With a book by Ellen Kushner and music by the Shirim Klezmer Orchestra, the show centers on Sara, whose mysterious aunt gives her a magical golden dreidel at the family Hanukkah party. (Through Jan. 3.) At 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., 2162 Broadway, at 76th Street, fourth floor, (212) 579-0528, vitaltheatre.org; $20.

NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL (Saturday and Sunday) Who can save a nation deep in debt and experiencing one of the worst financial crises in its history? This time it’s not Barack Obama, but Groucho Marx. The festival is presenting a 75th-anniversary screening of “Duck Soup” (Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.), in which Marx plays the corrupt leader of Freedonia, a tiny, nearly bankrupt country. More holiday comedy is in store with “Babes in Toyland” (Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m.), not the conventional operetta, but the 1934 movie takeoff in which Laurel and Hardy play bumbling toymakers for Santa who are fired for incompetence. At Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, at 95th Street, (212) 864-5400, symphonyspace.org; $11; $9 for under 12 and 65+; $8 for members.

‘THE NUTCRACKER ’ (Saturday and Sunday) Children who aren’t ready for a full serving of the Land of the Sweets and the other confections of “The Nutcracker” may enjoy this low-calorie version: it’s just an hour and geared especially to ages 2 to 11. Presented by New York Theater Ballet, the show features professional adult dancers and students from the company’s school. (Through Dec. 21.) At 11 a.m. and 1 and 3:30 p.m., Gould Hall, 55 East 59th Street, Manhattan, (212) 355-6160, nytb.org; $30; $25 for children.

‘PETER & THE WOLF’ (Saturday and Sunday) Prokofiev’s classic may seem to be common children’s fare at this time of year, but there’s nothing ordinary about this version. Given its world premiere last year as part of the Guggenheim Museum’s Works & Process series, this production combines performing arts with sets by renowned artists. This year the museum commissioned Fernando and Humberto Campana, Brazilian brothers specializing in recycled materials. Isaac Mizrahi narrates, and George Manahan will conduct the Juilliard Ensemble in the score. At 2:30 and 4 p.m., Peter B. Lewis Theater, Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street, (212) 423-3587, guggenheim.org; $35; $30 for members. And if you happen to dwell farther South, you have another “Peter and the Wolf” option: the Brooklyn Lyceum will present its own production, with the instruments of the Brooklyn Repertory Opera Orchestra playing the full menagerie of roles. At 4 p.m., 227 Fourth Avenue, between Union and President Streets, Park Slope, (718) 857-4816, brooklynlyceum.com; $10. (Discounts available with receipts from certain Brooklyn restaurants; details on the Web site.)

‘PETER PAN AND ADVENTURES IN NEVERLAND’ (Friday through Sunday, and Tuesday and Wednesday) New York might seem like a Neverland to many, and it is indeed the setting of Zakiyyah Alexander’s new, Americanized adaptation of J. M. Barrie’s classic. Presented by the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater as a puppet musical (Daryl Kojak composed the score), it also features a Tiger Lily who’s a native of India. (Through June.) Friday, and Tuesday and Wednesday, at 10:30 a.m. and noon (with an additional 2:30 p.m. show on Wednesday); Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.; 79th Street and the West Drive, Central Park; $8; $5 for 18 and under. Reservations required: (212) 988-9093; cityparksfoundation.org.

‘PINKALICIOUS, THE MUSICAL’ (Saturday and Sunday) It’s time to think pink again. This show for ages 4 to 12, from Vital Children’s Theater, is in yet another revival, so if you missed it earlier, you can catch it now at the Bleecker Street Theater. Elizabeth and Victoria Kann have adapted their children’s book, in which the pink-obsessed title character finds out that sometimes being in the pink can be too much of a good thing. (John Gregor wrote the score and some of the lyrics.) At 1 p.m., 45 Bleecker Street, at Lafayette Street, East Village, (212) 239-6200, vitaltheatre.org; $29.50.

‘PLAYING DREIDEL WITH JUDAH MACCABEE’ (Sunday) What would the ancient Jewish leader whose victory is at the heart of Hanukkah think of the contemporary observances of the holiday? A modern boy finds out when he meets the man himself, Judah Maccabee, in this play by Edward Einhorn, presented by Untitled Theater Company #61. Incorporating shadow puppets and live cello music, the show unfolds in eight scenes, corresponding to the eight days of celebrating. (Through Dec. 28.) At 2 p.m., the Looking Glass Theater, 422 West 57th Street, Clinton, (212) 352-3101; $18.

‘PUCELANDIA: A PUSICAL, MUSICAL HOLIDAY SHOW’ (Saturday through Monday) Many children may not know what puce is — is it even in the crayon box? — but it’s safe to say that it doesn’t appear often on anyone’s favorite-color list. In this musical from Turtle Shell Productions, written by Fran Handman and Sheldon Gartner, it is the only hue allowed in the title kingdom, until someone comes along to restore the season’s real vibrancy. (Through Dec. 28.) Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 1 p.m. and Monday at 7 p.m., the Shell Theater, 300 West 43rd Street, fourth floor, Clinton, (212) 352-3101; $20; $15 for those under 15 wearing something puce.

‘SEVEN IN ONE BLOW, OR THE BRAVE LITTLE KID’ (Friday through Sunday) In the Grimm fairy tale “The Brave Little Tailor” the title character dispatches seven flies with one swat but allows the gullible public to believe that he has really whacked seven enemies. In its annual holiday production for ages 4 and older, Axis Theater has adapted the story to feature a clever boy who triumphs over adversity, thanks to his wits and a lot of help from audience members, who are asked to shout lines and even sing. Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 4 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.; the Axis Theater, 1 Sheridan Square, off Seventh Avenue, (212) 352-3101, axiscompany.org; $10; $5 for children.

TENNIS LESSONS (Saturdays and Sundays) Aspiring Venus Williamses and Andy Roddicks can get into the swing of things long before summer at this free program, sponsored by the New York Junior Tennis League. Open to children ages 6 through 18, the sessions, held in all five boroughs through March, include not only tennis instruction but also special events and a concluding tournament. Tennis equipment is available for loan; parents must register their children onsite. More information and a full list of locations: (347) 417-8157, nyjtl.org.

‘THE TORTOISE & THE HARE’S HOLIDAY HOOP-LA!’ (Friday through Sunday) Aesop is combined with contemporary cheer in Denise Devin’s holiday musical for ages 3 and older. In addition to the title characters the show, from the Limecat Family Theater Company, features snowflakes, hum-bugs and even dancing matzo balls, as Terri Tortoise and Harry Hare race to Animal Lands Holiday Hoop-La. (Through Jan. 4.) Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday at 2 and 4 p.m.; St. Luke’s Theater, 308 West 46th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200, limecat.homestead.com; $20 and $40.

WINTER’S SOLSTICE THROUGH NATIVE AMERICAN LEGEND (Sunday) The solstice actually takes place at about 7:04 a.m. on Sunday, but you don’t have to be up that early to enjoy this celebration at the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers. At 2 p.m. the museum will offer American Indian tales from Mystic Paper Beasts Theater, a Connecticut troupe using masks, dance and scrolls, and at 3:30 p.m. it will present “Native American Stories of the Sky,” a planetarium show. At 511 Warburton Avenue, (914) 963-4550, hrm.org. Performance free with museum admission: $5; $3 for ages 5 through 16 and 65+. Planetarium show tickets: $2 and $1.

Correction: December 20, 2008

An entry in the Spare Times for Children listing on Friday about the Holidays Festival at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan included performance times for the entertainer Louie Miranda on Sunday that were changed after the section went to press. He will perform at 11 a.m. and noon, not at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.